The protesters are right, the abatements do harm other Jersey City taxpayers.

Even disregarding the costs of services for new residents/workers/students, unless the PILOT fee exceeds 86% of normal taxation, Jersey City taxpayers get less of a tax offset than they would from new development brought in under normal taxation.

The only time a PILOT deal would be net-positive fiscally if if the abatement truly is a but-for factor in construction.

The only area I disagree with the protesters with is in who the victim is. PILOTs are tax fairness problem, not a school budget problem. If Jersey City PILOTed nothing what would happen is that other Jersey City taxpayers would pay less in taxes. Unless the BOE passed a larger tax levy, the schools wouldn't have a cent more.

Jersey City abatement vote met with mock party

JERSEY CITY -- A group of about two dozen people wearing party hats, clutching invitations and bearing a cake descended on the City Council meeting yesterday to commemorate a special milestone.

No, it wasn't a council member's birthday. Last night saw the council voting on what the protesters/partygoers said was the 70th tax abatement of Mayor Steve Fulop's administration (it may have been the 71st).

Jersey City abatement vote met with mock party

JERSEY CITY -- A group of about two dozen people wearing party hats, clutching invitations and bearing a cake descended on the City Council meeting yesterday to commemorate a special milestone.

No, it wasn't a council member's birthday. Last night saw the council voting on what the protesters/partygoers said was the 70th tax abatement of Mayor Steve Fulop's administration (it may have been the 71st).